Editorial Reviews

A timely sequel to Paul C. Thornton’s first love note to luxury sea travel, Cruising Interrupted is a story of the cruise ship industry’s grinding halt in the spring of 2020 due to the pandemic. The author, an avid cruiser who deeply believes in the benefits, insights, and opportunities of luxury liner life, deals with his own concerns and expectations for the future of his beloved method of travel. Peppered with real-world accounts of debarkations and heartbreaking trip cancellations, as well as opinions from major travel influencers and destination marketers, this book is both hopeful and realistic. Whether Covid crushed […]

A diverse, captivating, and unpredictable collection, By the Way by Caperton Tissot is a stylistic scattershot of meticulously penned stories that probe the depths of personality. From pastoral mysteries and down-country dramas to transcontinental thrillers and twist endings, Tissot demonstrates her versatility, while maintaining a patient and powerful style all her own. Largely dialogue-driven, the writing of each tale brings to life an eclectic cast of characters – original figures pursuing their quiet desires, taking chances, falling in love, or bearing the weight of the past. Straightforward and thoughtful, though occasionally playful, this intimate collection summons a dozen different worlds, […]

Presenting a compelling and optimistic approach towards living one’s best life, The YOU Beyond You by Ramzi Najjar is both a philosophical and practical guide to enlightenment and self-improvement. The author methodically dissects the classic problems that can affect our body and mentality, while also suggesting new perspectives and tools we can each use to shift our purpose, happiness, and expectations. While much of the language is abstract and cerebral, there are concrete principles and ideas throughout that can be put to immediate use, regardless of which journey you may be on. Despite a dearth of references or traditional proof […]

Elegant, heartfelt, academic, and profound, Short Stories of Space by Piers Horner is an entrancing and contemporary journey through the cosmos. Explicating some of the most interesting astral events of this unprecedented past year, this collection of autobiographical essays captures the author’s deep love for science and space, while also breaking down complex and mind-boggling phenomena into digestible and memorable pieces. Though the writing centers on the stars, different stories also touch on key elements of history, religion, philosophy, technology, politics, and physics, revealing an author with a keen sense of storytelling and an impressively deep well of knowledge.

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With the grace of a born storyteller, Jeffrey Pacitto delivers his first collection of stories entitled And the Wars Went On Without Him, inspired by the experiences of his own indomitable immigrant grandparents. From the difficulties of growing up too fast to the visceral horrors of frontline life during World War II, Pacitto paints a vivid picture of the past through vividly crafted characters. Offering unique and revelatory perspectives on sacrifice, duty, and national loyalty, this five-story collection is tightly edited and powerfully penned.

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Capturing the pastoral air of a classic murder mystery, The Concrete Vineyard by Cam Lang is a well-crafted whodunit with a colorful cast of suspects, and just as many red herrings. Boasting colloquial charm and an outlandish plot, this urban planning thriller carves out its own genre niche. The storytelling style is unexpected and engaging, placing a possibly untrustworthy narrator into a buddy cop framework, with Lang weaving the layers exceptionally well, given the story’s complexity. The murderous stakes feel high at times, but this detective story is a rare vintage – cleverly crafted to keep readers guessing, without taking […]

Author Stephen M.A. unleashes a shockingly creative sci-fi future in Tiny Planet Filled With Liars, roping readers into a savage space dystopia where military contractors rule over a crumbling empire of secrets. Brought to life with linguistic gymnastics and an impeccably sharp ear for dialogue, this is tech-heavy futurism for those who want to give their minds a workout, but the commitment is well worth the effort. Layering vivid history and mind-bending exposition between splashes of gritty action, acerbic wit, and experimental style choices, this nontraditional adventure is both challenging and thrilling.

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A poignantly penned and memorable tale of paternal love and struggle, Like No Other Boy by Larry Center is a heartfelt novel that honestly explores a complex and poorly understood condition. Showing the symptoms, scope, and unpredictability of autism through a father’s occasionally overwhelmed eyes helps this story hit home. This story also demonstrates the incredible power of animal interactions, and the unspoken peace they can bring to children, adults, and everyone in between. The prose is both authentic and educational, particularly for those readers without direct experience of developmental delays. With carefully chosen descriptive language, a clear foundation of […]